[France]Cynical French Ministerial publication for IDAHOThe French Ministry of "Justice and Liberty" has announced that "genital removing surgery" will no longer be an absolute requirement in order for a French citizen to change gender labels (from M to F or from F to M) on their identity papers.

However, the Ministry underlines that the person's "metabolism must have been modified in an irreversible manner", meaning that the requirement for obligatory sterilization, (hence also psychiatric, and pathologizing treatments) is maintained for gender recognition to be made, contrary to the recommendations made by Commissioner Hammarberg in 2009.

The Ministry announces that for gender recognition to be obtained, the degrading and humiliating procedure of genital examination by a state approved doctor will remain necessary "in cases where there is doubt of the transsexualism of the requestor". In other words, numerous French transgender people will continue to have to pay to undergo this humiliating process and many of them will continue to be refused gender recognition on the grounds of the appearance of their genitals.

In its announcement, the Ministry admits that since France was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights on 25th March 1992, no legal mechanism, other than jurisprudence, covers people who undergo treatments or surgery to modify their gender expression.

The wording of the announcement is highly transphobic, stating that following genital surgery, the persons' genital organs are "artificial", and insisiting upon wording of a highly pathologizing nature.

[Turkey]Extreme Violence Against Trans Individuals Today- Including The Founder of Pink Life !!!

Trans Individuals in Turkey- Ankara were severely beaten by the police force in Ankara tonight at around 23.00 p.m.. Five Transexual women who are all Pink Life activists were stopped in their car and asked to show their identity cars by the police. They all showed their IDs but the police wanted to get them out and they resisted since this was one of the extreme implementations of the fascist Ankara police against trans individuals.

We as human righst activists came along the car they were stopped and asked the police about what they were doing and they did not provide us with any lawful reason about their violence. After a while, the police force started to beat the human rights defenders (namely us who were out of the car - including me and the trans individuals) and they severely beated us!!

We resisted and some of our friends were severely injured. The trans individuals within the car- including two founders of Pink Life were forcibly taken out of the car and were kicked from their stomach and legs, arms and they were severely bloody !!! The silicons of the trans persons were forced and they are severely injured.

The 5 trans people were taken to the police station forcibly- and the police continued to beat them and us - and they are now under custody without any reason!! We human rights activists are waiting in one of the houses of the beaten trans individuals. Tomorrow we will have a press release, most probably..

I will give the required information soon ! Pls try to spread this information since we as trans activists need your solidarity and overt support!!!

[Australia]Say No To Discrimination In SportThe State Government, through Sport and Recreation Tasmania and the Office for the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, is giving its full support to today’s International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), with countries all over the world taking action.In Australia, the Australian Football League (AFL) is promoting IDAHO through advertisements picturing AFL players holding placards that oppose homophobia.

[FL, USA]LGBT Community Supports Health Care ReformIn a national survey following President Obama’s signature on the final health care reform legislation, 46% of all Americans expressed support for the plan.That measure of support, however, escalates sharply among gay men and lesbians, 79% of whom say they either strongly support or somewhat support President Obama’s plan for health care reform.